Elina Svitolina’s last tournament was a solid run to the quarterfinal at Wimbledon, where she lost to the 2022 champion Elena Rybakina. The quality of the Ukrainian’s tennis in London raised expectations among some for the rest of her season. However, Svitolina has made a surprising announcement confirming that she and her coach, Raemon Sluiter, have parted ways.
Elina Svitolina Splits With Coach Raemon Sluiter
Sluiter became Svitolina’s coach in March 2023, after her return from maternity leave. Many doubted whether the multiple-time Grand Slam semifinalist would thrive after being away from the sport for so long. Yet, she and Sluiter had great success together. The biggest highlight was Svitolina’s terrific run to the Wimbledon semifinal last year, which included a quarterfinal triumph against the French Open champion Iga Swiatek. As mentioned before, she backed that up by making the quarterfinal at SW19 this year.
The Ukrainian also reached the quarterfinals at the 2023 French Open before being stopped by the two-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka. Other achievements included winning the title at the Internationaux de Strasbourg last year and being the runner-up to Coco Gauff in Auckland at the start of this season.
In her statement about the decision, Svitolina thanked Sluiter for making her a better player. The 29-year-old also called the Dutchman one of the best coaches on either Tour and said she was grateful for what the pair had achieved together through hard work and dedication. Svitolina ended by saying she would update her fans when she makes a decision about her new coach.
The Ukrainian did not give any reasons for the decision, so it is unknown whether both of them wanted this move. However, it is nice that Svitolina had so many kind words to say about Sluiter. The move certainly seems to be amicable, regardless of how it came about.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
